


I Can't Remember

by flowercrownclem



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Drunk Michael, M/M, Michael's a really forgetful drunk, Pining Luke, but Luke thinks he's cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-14
Updated: 2016-05-14
Packaged: 2018-06-08 07:40:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6845461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flowercrownclem/pseuds/flowercrownclem
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>College/University AU: Every weekend Michael goes to a party and gets drunk and every weekend he has a one night stand with Luke then forgets the next morning. Luke lets him because he's a really cute drunk and he might have had a crush on him since the first day of class.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Can't Remember

**Author's Note:**

> Hey so I'm still working on my other muke fic (I Think My Little Sister's In Love With You) but I kind of have writer's block on that one right now and then I got the idea for this story so I wrote this and here you go

Michael had given up on relationships. He'd gone out with a few people in his time but nothing ever lasted past the fourth date. He'd have fun with whoever he'd gone out with for the first date- and it would seem like they'd enjoyed it too- but as soon as they really got to know each other the other person would stop texting him back and before long he'd be alone again. He was only in his second year of university so it wasn't like he was looking for marriage, but he would have liked to have some sort of romantic companionship. He had his best friend Calum of course, but he only let Michael cuddle him when Michael'd had an extra bad day. 

He wanted someone to love and who loved him, but he had been let down so many times that he had given up on the idea. Maybe after he'd graduated and had a steady job he might be able to continue his search, but for the moment he'd taken to drowning his sorrows in alcohol and one night stands.

“C’mon, Calum,” he whined, laying out across the other boy's bed in their shared apartment. “Are you really gonna leave me alone for another party?”

“Sorry mate,” Calum said, not looking up from his laptop. “I've got a huge test on Monday and I've gotta study.”

“It's not my fault you chose to take hard classes,” Michael grumbled. 

“Either way you know you'd ditch me as soon as you found someone willing to take you home,” Calum pointed out. 

“Hey,” Michael frowned. “I don't sleep with that many people. You make me sound like a slut. I've got standards.”

“You  _ are _ kind of a slut,” Calum argued, laughing.

“Okay, maybe a little,” Michael laughed. “Stop slut-shaming me though.”

“I will if you leave me alone,” Calum said. “I've really got to study.”

“Fine,” Michael agreed, pressing a sloppy kiss to his best friend's cheek as he left for the party.

That particular party war being thrown by one of the frats on campus, just down the street from Michael and Calum’s apartment. It was nice living so near the hub of all the action because it meant he rarely had to drive or worry about finding a ride when he drank. 

It wasn't that he drank all that much (much less than most of the people at the parties he went to), but he figured that at a frat party it was almost unavoidable; a “when in Rome”-type situation. It loosened him up and made it easier not to feel too hurt later on in the night when he was walking home from his latest hook up.

When he walked through the door of the house music was pounding loud enough to shake the walls around him. He straightened the snapback on his head so that the bill was pointing down his spine and made his way to the kitchen to fix his first drink of the night.

 

“Luke,” Ashton said in a warning tone. “Are you really gonna do this again?”

“Ashy,” Luke whined, resting his head on his best friend's shoulder. They were in Ashton's room up the stairs of his frat house, music pulsing up through the floor to hint at the party downstairs. “You know I can't help it.”

“Yes you can,” Ashton laughed, shoving the blond haired boy off of him. “You just say ‘sorry, not interested’ and move on.”

“But I  _ am _ interested,” Luke frowned. “I don't want to hurt his feelings.”

“He's drunk,” Ashton pointed out. “I doubt he'd mind too much. He'd just find someone else.”

“But...” Luke said, biting his lip. “But I don't want him to find someone else.”

“Somehow he hasn't for the past month,” Ashton grumbled. “And somehow you haven't said a single thing to him when he's not drunk off his ass.”

“I don't want to make it awkward,” Luke shrugged. “We've got like three classes together. What am I supposed to do, go up and be like ‘hey, I'm that guy you hook up with every weekend then forget by the time we get to class on Monday’?”

“Yes,” Ashton pointed. “That's exactly what you do. You can't just keep sleeping with the guy and pretending each time is the first and only time. That's fucked up, dude. It's not healthy for either of you.”

“I know,” Luke groaned. “But he's such a cute drunk and I can't help it. He gets all giggly and cuddly and soft and... Please, Ash?”

“Fine,” Ashton shrugged, pushing his friend towards the door. “Go get your boy. But you've got to figure out something with this whole thing. It's weird- and kind of creepy.”

Luke dashed down the stairs, scanning the room and accepting the drink one of Ashton's friends handed him. He took a few measured sips and settled against one wall to watch the people around him dance and drink.

 

Michael was fixated on the blond boy across the room from him. Rather than join the party the boy just watched, seeming apart from the rest in a way that interested Michael. As he watched he saw the boy's eyes flicker up and meet his, the boy's body stiffening for a moment before he relaxed, turning his gaze shyly to the plastic cup in his hands.

Michael wove through the crowd to stand next to the boy, leaning on the wall and fixing his eyes on the boy's pretty face. 

“Hey,” Michael said, smiling. 

“Hey,” Luke said back softly, his lips turning up in a satisfied smile. 

“I'm Michael,” the red haired boy said, extending his hand. 

“Luke,” Luke replied, barely holding back his laughter at introducing himself for what must have been the fifth or sixth time. 

“You're really pretty, Luke,” Michael said, his words only slurring slightly.

“I've been told,” Luke grinned, mentally adding  _ By you. Three times.  _

“Cocky, huh?” Michael asked wryly. “I like your lip ring.”

_ I know how much you like it,  _ Luke wanted to say. Instead he bit his lip and said “Thank you. I like your hair.”

“Thanks,” Michael said, running his fingers clumsily through his obviously dyed red hair. “It’s natural.”

Luke laughed despite having heard the joke twice before, both times when his hair had been a faded green. Luke wondered when he'd changed the color and if he might ever get to help Michael color his hair. 

“It looks nice,” Luke smiled, his eyes dimming a bit. He played absently with the cup in his hands, suddenly feeling a hint of regret. Maybe Ashton was right and he shouldn’t keep this up with Michael. The more he interacted with the boy he grew more and more attached and he knew that it would never lead anywhere. He’d only ever interacted with Michael when the other boy was drunk but he’d been watching him since the start of the term when he’d first seen him across his Advanced Music Theory class that fall. He couldn’t help slowly falling for the boy and he was ecstatic when they’d met at a party the past month. Luke was heartbroken though when that Monday Michael didn’t look at him any differently than he ever had before- which was not at all.

At first Luke thought that maybe Michael was just ignoring his one night stand from that weekend but when they crossed paths again the next weekend Luke realised that Michael must not even remember him at all when the other boy started the exact same pick up technique he’d used the week before. Luke had hesitated at first but he was unable to resist the charm and allure of a cuddly and drunk Michael Clifford. Then the next week the exact same thing had happened. Luke couldn’t decide if he had the best luck in the world or the worst.

“You okay?” Michael asked, noticing Luke’s change in mood.

“Yeah- yeah I’m fine,” Luke said, barely heard over the loud music. “I think I’ve, uh, got to go soon though.”

“Hey, don’t leave yet,” Michael pleaded, grabbing for Luke’s hand and pouting a bit. “Come outside with me for a little, please?”

“I, um,” Luke said, biting his lip and trying to remember Ashton’s disappointed face. “Just for a little.”

Michael’s face lit up like Luke had given him the world and Luke knew he wouldn’t be leaving that quickly. Michael hugged Luke’s arm to his chest and pulled him outside to a bench swing in the yard. The night was quiet but for the beat of the music ringing in the air and the occasional couple who ran past the pair. As they sat down Michael stumbled a bit and giggled cutely.

“Lukey don’t let me fall,” he laughed lightly, hanging onto Luke and draping himself nearly in Luke’s lap. Luke could barely enjoy the contact, too caught up in the nickname the other boy had used. He’d only called him ‘Lukey’ the last weekend and Luke wondered if that meant anything.

“I won’t,” Luke promised, putting his other hand over Michael’s knee and rubbing soothing circles through the fabric of his jeans.

“Luke,” Michael said conspiratorially, leaning against his shoulder. “I know we just met right now but it doesn’t feel like it. Feels like I know you.”

Luke didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry.

“That’s- that’s nice,” he said, trying to manage a weak smile. 

“No really,” Michael insisted, his eyes slightly glassy but earnest. “Think I dreamt about you or somethin’.”

Luke couldn’t help the slightly hysteric peel of laughter that escaped his lips, startling Michael.

“Really?” Luke asked, gasping for breath. “That’s the pick up line you’re going for?”

“Well,” Michael said, pulling back a bit and turning defensive. “You don’t have to be rude. You should be flattered.”

“Believe me,” Luke said, calming down, “I am.”

“What’s so funny then?” Michael asked, still bristling.

“I- shit,” Luke said, shaking his head. “Fuck it, you probably won’t remember this anyway.”

“What are you talking-”

“We’ve hooked up five times already.”

“What?” Michael asked, sitting up straighter and seeming to sober a bit.

“I- shit, um- You kind of keep hitting on me every weekend and then we hook up or whatever and then you go home and you forget and then it keeps happening and it’s been every weekend for like more than a month and I don’t really know what to do about it.”

“Wait we’ve slept together five times?” Michael asked, looking disbelieving.

“Um, not five times,” Luke said. “Sometimes I just blow you or whatever but I think it’s been, like, three? I dunno, I-”

“Shit,” Michael slumped back against the bench, rocking them with the movement. “Shit, I’m sorry.”

“What?” Luke asked, his brow furrowing. “You don’t need to apologise. It’s not your fault. You’re just drunk, I keep letting it happen.”

“Why  _ do _ you let it happen?” Michael asked. “Why didn’t you just tell me to fuck off?”

“I dunno,” Luke shrugged, turning shy and nervous. “I didn’t want to be mean. Plus I, um, I kindoflikeyou.”

“Oh,” Michael said softly, seeming to melt against the back of the bench. “Do I like you?”

“I don't know,” Luke said, his cheeks a warm red. “How would I know?”

“You know more than I do,” Michael pointed out. “And apparently I've spent more time with you than anyone I've ever dated, so...”

“What do you mean?” Luke asked, watching Michael's eyes turn sleepy and relaxed once more, his head lulling onto Luke's shoulder. 

“I've never been on more than four dates with anybody, but if you count hooking up at a party as a date then you've beat my record.”

Luke tentatively wrapped one arm around the other boy and started to softly run his fingers through his dyed red hair.

“They never like me,” Michael whispered, frowning, his words still slurring a bit. “But you do, Lukey.”

“Yeah,” Luke nodded. “I do.”

“I think I like you,” Michael decided. “I just need to make sure Sober-Michael remembers that.”

“Sober-Michael?” Luke laughed. “Are there two of you?”

“Yeah, but I get the better deal: I get the cute boys and he gets the hangovers.”

“That doesn't really sound fair,” Luke mused. 

“You're right,” Michael nodded, closing his eyes and cuddling into Luke. “Maybe I'll try and share the cute boy part with him for once.”

“C’mon,” Luke said softly, standing up slowly and pulling a sleepy Michael to his feet. “Let's get you home.”

Michael allowed himself to be led out of the party and instructed Luke on how to get to his apartment. When they got to the door Michael spent a good minute trying to work his keys out of the tight pocket of his skinny jeans before Luke pulled away his hand and dipped his own fingers into the pocket. 

“Oh so this was your plan all along?” Michael asked, trying for seductive but failing in his drunken state. “S’that how you get all the boys?”

“What?” Luke asked, trying to fit the newly obtained keys into the lock. 

“You tell ‘em that they've already slept with you and forgot and then you get ‘em home and start fondling ‘em? Well, it's a real good plan but I would expose you if you weren't all cute.” Michael gave a triumphant look as though he'd proven how clever he was and Luke couldn't help but burst out laughing. 

“Sure, Michael. You figured me out. It was all a ploy to reach in your pocket in the hallway outside your house,” Luke grinned. “Now come on, I think it's time for bed.”

Luke got the door open and lead Michael inside, one hand protectively on his lower back. 

“You're home early,” Calum said from his seat on their couch without looking up from his textbook. 

“Hi,” Luke said, making Calum glance up from his work. 

“Hi,” Calum said, looking surprised. “I'm Calum.”

“Luke,” he replied. “I'm the guy Michael's been hooking up with at parties then forgetting as soon as he's sober for the past month.”

“Oh,” Calum said, looking confused. “Uh, okay. Sorry?”

“It's cool,” Luke shrugged. “I'm gonna get him to bed if that's okay.”

“Of course,” Calum said, pointing at the door to Michael's bedroom. “He's right in there.”

“Thanks,” Luke smiled, pulling Michael to his room and sitting him on the bed. Luke placed a quick kiss on his forehead before he ran out to fill up a glass of water. 

“Drink this while I get your boots off,” he instructed, kneeling down in front of the other boy. Michael drained the glass obediently, humming some made up tune while Luke struggled with his shoes. 

“Thanks Lukey,” Michael said when the other boy had set both shoes aside, wiggling his socks-clad toes contentedly. 

“You're welcome,” Luke smiled, having Michael lay down on the bed so that he could work his skin tight jeans down his legs. Before long Michael was laid out in just his boxers and a t-shirt, his eyes already halfway shut. 

“I've never slept with anybody before,” Michael said drowsily, grabbing for Luke's hands and pulling him to sit next to him on the bed. 

“You sure about that?” Luke asked, raising one eyebrow. 

“You're funny,” Michael giggled. “I like you. But I mean not like sleep-sleep. Are you gonna sleep-sleep with me?”

“Not tonight,” Luke said, smiling when Michael gave a kitten-like yawn. “Given your track record I don't think you'd like waking up to a stranger in your bed.”

“Yer not a stranger,” Michael said, wrapping his arms around Luke's waist and nuzzling his face against Luke’s stomach. 

“Not right now,” Luke said sadly.

“G’night, Lukey,” Michael said, his eyes closing all the way and his breathing evening out quickly. 

 

The next morning Michael woke up with a slight headache and an empty bed. He looked blearily to his bedside table and saw a full glass of water next to a couple of advil. He gulped down both the water and the pills then picked up his phone which had been plugged in to charge next to a folded up slip of paper.

He turned on his phone and saw that it was open to a new contact filed under “Lukey.” He unfolded and read the note. 

_ Michael- _

_ I hope your hangover’s not too bad. I put my number in your phone if you want it. Last _

~~_Michael this one's good I approve_ ~~

_ Sorry Calum stole my paper then I couldn't find another one to start over but like you can text me if you want and I can explain everything again or, like, if you don't want to that's okay too.  _

_ -Luke _

Michael smiled as he read the note, pulling his phone back out when he finished. 

 

**To: Lukey**

I have a secret

**From: Lukey**

?

**To: Lukey**

I only had like two beers last night

**From: Lukey**

Wait so

**To: Lukey**

I wasn't really drunk

**To: Lukey**

Like I was kind of buzzed but

**To: Lukey**

I remember.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading I hope you liked it!


End file.
